Quite A Night
by adoreleo
Summary: The last night of the Democratic Convention holds a few surprises for more than just Leo.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Quite A Night (1/2)

By: adoreleo

Rating: Mature

Spoilers: Anything up to and including 2162 Votes.

Disclaimer: The characters are from the NBC, WB, TV show The West Wing; they do  
not belong to me.

Beta and additional suggestions: Lynn

Author's Notes: Hi, yes it's been a while since I've written any Leo fan fiction. I took some time off after writing several huge stories in a row. This short story wasn't even the one I started working on, but it popped into my head and demanded to be written. It was completed in about three short settings. I hope you enjoy it. Now, I will go back to working on my other story (Everyone Notices – which is around 90 pages so far).

Feedback: Is greatly appreciated.

Summary: The last night of the Democratic Convention holds a few surprises for more than just Leo.

Quite A Night – Part 1

"Hello," the sleepy voice answers.

"Hey, Sweetie," Leo says, as he limps towards his room, down the corridor of the Hilton Hotel, that's adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center. He's been on his feet since six o'clock this morning, and it's taken a toll on his bad leg.

"Leo?"

"I'm sorry, were ya sleeping." He squints at his watch and discovers it's ten o'clock. He has not quite an hour before he has to be back for the President's closing speech of the Democratic Convention.

"Yeah, it's," she props on one arm, up in bed, and looks at the alarm clock on the night stand, "one o'clock in the morning, here. I went to bed after you called earlier tonight. Is everything okay? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he sighs and shakes his head, at the worry in her voice, as he opens the door to his hotel room and heads for the small refrigerator. "Can't a guy even call his pregnant girlfriend?"

"Leo," she whines. "What's gotten into you?" Her voice is full of concern. "Someone could overhear you," she whispers, as she cups her hand over the receiver.

"I'm in my hotel room, Sweetie," he explains, holding the phone between his shoulder and chin, while unscrewing the cap from the water bottle. "And… I might add that there's no need to whisper, unless there's someone there with you." He takes a long drink of water as pictures her looking around the room.

"Leo, you know there's no one here but me," she scolds, after quickly surveying the room on reflex.

"Anyway, I don't care if someone overhears us." He sets down the bottle of water on the coffee table, draws a tired breath, and rubs his face. He's not used to working these long hours again… ever since his heart attack he's been scrutinized closely for old habits. He's surprised that no one's been picking on him recently about his long hours. But then again, Abbey, Mallory, Margaret, and CJ have all been in DC for most of the convention. Abbey and CJ just arrived yesterday and he's been successful at avoiding them for the most part.

"I know you don't…" She pauses to stifle a yawn. "You know the press is going to have a field day with this."

"It's not going to matter to the press… when they find out." He drops down on the couch and has to restrain himself from groaning. They've had this conversation several times before, but he thinks there may be a different outcome this time. "It's still going to be a story. 'A torrid affair involving members of the Presidential staff.'" He dramatizes a little as he rolls his eyes.

"Probably, but I still think that it's best to wait until we leave the White House, before we announce that you're the father of my child and that we're getting married in January."

"That might be a long wait," he informs her.

"Leo, I know that six months seems like a long time, but it's really not. The baby will only be three months old when we get married and since you stay here every night anyway, you won't miss out anything," she predicts, as she lies back in bed and visualizes the birth of their child and their wedding in her head.

"Well, if we wait until I'm through working for the President, it could be four to eight years before we get married. I'd really like to be able to claim the baby as mine before he or she starts school," Leo says with a crooked grin on his face. He can't wait to be a father again. Having a baby wasn't even something they had discussed, but both of them couldn't be happier.

"Four to eight years? Leo, you're not making any sense."

"Well, Sweetie," Leo lays the charm on thick. "You can blame Josh for that."

"I knew I should have come out there, too," she shakes her head and purses her lips. "Every time you guys go to California, something happens. What has Josh done, now?"

"Well… it was his idea."

"What idea?" She demands, as she starts to lose her patience with him.

"Are you sitting down?"

"No, I'm still in bed. Now damnit Leo, just what the Hell is going on out there?" She huffs. Her patience has now gone by the wayside.

"I don't think that's a very appropriate tone to be using with the Democratic Party's nominee for… Vice President," he smirks.

"What!" She shrieks, as she drops the phone.

Leo laughs when he hears the phone hit the floor. "Sweetie, are you there? Are you okay?" He asks, after he hears some rustling and grunting. He imagines her eight-month pregnant body struggling to reach for the phone and wishes he were there to help her.

"Leo, did you say… Vice President?"

"Yeah, I did," Leo boldly smiles. "Can you believe that they asked me to join the ticket?" He says in a surprised voice. He never dreamed this would happen to him, now.

"Oh Leo, I'm so proud of you. You deserve this chance more than anyone. You'll make a great Vice President." Her joy is short lived as her mind races, and she quickly thinks of some of the obstacles that Leo will have to face. "But… what about…"

"Don't worry about it," quickly rolls from his mouth. "I've already talked with the Congressman and told him about us… and our baby."

"What did he say?"

"Well… he thinks that I need to make an honest woman out of ya and I… couldn't agree more."

"But…"

"Listen… I told him that I wouldn't accept if you didn't agree to marry me right away, 'cause I'm not waiting four to eight years. If you don't want to get married now, I'll decline the offer and we'll get married this coming January like we planned. I'm not going to do this without you or if you don't want me to do it. You and the baby are more important to me than any job. So… Whatdaya think?"

"When do you need an answer?"

Leo checks his watch, "You have some time."

"How much time, Leo?" She knows it can't be very long.

"Five minutes."

"You don't give a girl much time." She brushes her bangs from her eyes as she considers her answer.

"Yeah, sorry."

"What does the President think?"

"He said he'd kick my ass around the schoolyard if I didn't accept," Leo smiles.

"Well," she laughs softly. "We can't have that. So, I guess we should hold off looking for a house for the time being, 'cause we could be residing at the Naval Observatory for the next four to eight years, Mr. Democratic Candidate for Vice President of the United States."

"I can't wait to get home and announce to the world that we're getting married and that the baby is mine."

"Yeah, it's going to surprise a few people, I'm sure."

"Probably, but ya know… it's all your fault." He implies with a small laugh.

"How is this all my fault?" She playfully whines.

"You seduced me, when I was still recovering and not thinking straight." He smiles, as his body starts to ache for her touch. This has been the longest they have been apart, since it all began.

"Hey… if I remember correctly, you were the one who keep fabricating reasons for me to stop over to your hotel at night, after work." Her body starts to yearn for his touch.

"Maybe, but you didn't seem to mind at the time," he murmurs in a deep voice. He knows this voice just drives her crazy.

"Nope, I didn't. I just wanted to be near you." She pauses as she takes a breath. His intonation isn't helping her raging hormones right now. "I just wish I was next to you right now."

"I know the feeling," Leo mutters, as he tries to fight his growing desire. "Hey, I gotta go. I need to go and tell the Congressman that I'm … that we're getting married."

"Okay… and when you see Josh, you know what you can give him from me," she smirks.

"Yeah, I think I can handle that," he knowingly grins. "Sweetie, are ya going to stay up? 'Cause… the President is going to present us to the Convention, in less than an hour."

"Yeah, I'll be watching." Her voice is full of pride.

"I wish you were here by my side." Leo's voice softens. He wants to share this important moment with her. She's been a huge part of his success. She's always been there for him over the years. He just didn't see what was right in front of him until his heart attack woke him up. Now, he can't imagine his life without her and their unborn child.

"Me, too," she whispers.

"I'll be thinking of you when I'm up there." He pauses, "I'll be home tomorrow. I love you, Margaret."

"I love you too, Leo. Bye," as she snuggles down into the bed, watching the television, awaiting the President's announcement to the public and a chance to see a glimpse of her man.

"Bye." Leo slowly closes his cell phone and then heads off to Congressman Santos' suite.

----------

"Hey, Leo," Josh greets his mentor with a boyish smile. He's so happy that his dream of Leo being Vice President may finally become a reality. This is the third time he tried to get him to take that position. "Have you made up your mind yet? The Congressman said that you needed to make a phone call before you could give him an answer. Did ya call Mallory? What did she say? Was she excited?" Josh is almost bouncing with joy.

Leo promptly strides over to Josh and slaps him up the side of the head, "That's… from Margaret."

"Hey what did I do?" Josh asks with a puzzled look on his face, as he rubs the spot that Leo slapped him. "Did I miss Total Crackpot Day or something?" He smart-mouths.

"No, but she does have to move her wedding day up by almost six months… because of you."

"I didn't know she was getting married. I didn't know she was even dating anyone." Josh smiles and then quickly frowns. "Why is it my fault she has to change her plans?"

"Cause, she can't campaign for me, if she isn't married." Leo crosses his arms and stares at Josh, pretending to be aggravated.

"Leo," Josh gripes. "Did you… tell her she had to get married to be able to campaign for you?"

"Yeah." He says in an even tone.

"That seems really extreme and… I'm pretty sure that it's… illegal, too. I'm sure the Congressman doesn't mind Margaret not being married. Leo, I know she's pregnant but…"

"The Congressman," Leo states slowly. "Is the one who… suggested it." Leo forces his lips tighter, fighting the urge to smile.

"You're kidding," Josh squeals.

"Nope. It makes perfect sense to me."

"It does?" Josh is taken aback by Leo's and the Congressman's provincial way of thinking.

"Yeah. If Margaret is going to be campaigning for her… husband, then she had better get married first."

"But I thought you… were going to accept…" Josh's face contorts as he thinks about what Leo has just implied.

Leo smiles as it finally sinks into Josh's thick skull.

"Margaret's going to marry you?"

"Yeah."

"But… she's… pregnant." Josh squeals as he states the obvious.

"I know that," Leo bobs his head. "I was there when it happened," he says, very matter of factly.

"That would mean…"

"Yes, Josh. I'm the father of Margaret's baby."

"How? When? I mean you… had a heart attack." Josh stutters.

"Josh, if ya don't know how it happened, well… I'm not going to be the one who explains it to ya. As for when it happened, that's none of your business and yes... I had a heart attack. That's how it all began."

"But Leo, should you… umm be… you know?"

"Josh, have you forgotten that… you've had major heart surgery, too. So, does that mean all those rumors I heard about you and Amy were… false." He smiles.

"No," Josh shyly shakes his head and turns red.

"Okay, then."

"So, you're marrying Margaret?" Josh smiles, as he runs a hand through his unruly mop of hair.

"Yeah."

"You're going to be a father again at age…"

"Yeah," Leo interrupts. "And watch that age crap."

"And you're going to run for Vice President?"

"Yeah."

"Congratulations Leo, on all counts," Josh smiles.

"Thanks."

"Wow, you've had quite a night," Josh remarks, as he extends his hand.

Leo warmly shakes Josh's hand and then pulls his surrogate son into a hug. "You have too, Kid." After a few seconds, Leo releases Josh, takes a step back, and then puts his hands on Josh's shoulders, "Your Dad… would be so proud of you," Leo's voice cracks. "I know I am."

A somber Josh nods his head, "Thanks, Leo. That means a lot to me."

Leo drops his hands, shoves them in his pockets and smiles.

Josh isn't sure what to say next, but finally breaks the silence. "So, you and Margaret."

"Yeah."

"The Congressman knows," Josh states.

Leo nods his head.

"Does Mallory?"

"She knows about Margaret and me, but the Vice President thing… will definitely be a shock."

"Yeah, I bet," Josh smiles. "So you and your assistant."

"Josh, will you get over it," Leo groans. "And technically, she was no longer working for me when this started."

"Does anyone else know?"

"The President and Abbey."

"Yeah, I figured you would have told them." Josh pauses, shaking his head. "I have to tell you, I never suspected."

"You weren't supposed to. Margaret wanted to wait to announce it to the public until right before we got married in January. We were going to tell family and friends after the election."

"Why wait to announce it?"

"She was worried about how the press would handle it."

"But, what about now?"

"Well… after I informed her it could be four to eight year wait before we could get married, she finally came to her senses. Although, I'm worried how this and other things from my past will effect the campaign, but the Congressman wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Leo, it'll be fine. Neither one of you are married. You're both consenting adults. She wasn't working for you. The only thing that could be a problem is if… the baby was conceived at the White House." He jokes.

Leo gives him an impish grin.

"Leo! You're got to be kidding me. What were you two thinking? If this ever gets out that it happened in the…" Josh rattles off quickly, before Leo has a chance to interrupt him.

"Josh, calm down," Leo laughs. "Do the math. I wasn't even back to work yet, when it happened."

"Oh, God Leo, you scared me," Josh smiles broadly. He's so happy to see Leo acting like his old self and joking around.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Josh mimics one of Leo's favorite phrases.

"Seems to me I've heard that… somewhere else before." Leo grins.

"You better get in there and tell him that you're accepting." Josh motions towards the Congressman's hotel room.

"Yeah." Leo starts for the door.

"And Leo…"

"Yeah." Leo stops and turns.

"Congratulations again but… you'd better call Mallory." Josh reminds him. "She has quite a temper. She must get that from her fath…"

"Right," Leo cuts him off, as he pretends he's going to slap Josh upside the head again.

"Hey," Josh laughs, as he ducks away.

Leo smiles, drops his hand to his side, and becomes serious, "Josh, thanks for… pushing for me as… Vice President. You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did and you're more than welcome, Leo. I'm just glad you finally agreed this time."

"Yeah," Leo says, as he walks over to the door, knocks, and then disappears inside after it opens.

TBC in Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Quite A Night (2/2)

By: adoreleo

Rating: Mature

Spoilers: Anything up to and including 2162 Votes.

Disclaimer: The characters are from the NBC, WB, TV show The West Wing; they do  
not belong to me.

Beta and additional suggestions: Lynn

Author's Notes: Hi, yes it's been a while since I've written any Leo fan fiction. I took some time off after writing several huge stories in a row. This short story wasn't even the one I started working on, but it popped into my head and demanded to be written. It was completed in about three short settings. I hope you enjoy it. Now, I will go back to working on my other story (Everyone Notices – which is around 90 pages so far).

Feedback: Is greatly appreciated.

Summary: The last night of the Democratic Convention holds a few surprises for more than just Leo.

Quite A Night – Part 2

"Leo," Matt stands and walks over to greet him.

"Congressman Santos," Leo shakes his offered hand.

"Leo, I thought I told you to call me Matt."

"Sorry, Sir, but…"

"Yeah, Josh warned me that you wouldn't break protocol no matter what I said." He smiles.

"No, Sir, I won't," Leo smiles.

"So," Matt walks over to the couch and motions to Leo to sit down. "Have you talked with Margaret?"

"Yes, Sir, I have." Leo glances down and then back up to the Congressman. "But before I give you my answer, there's something that you need to know. I can't believe I didn't think about this, earlier tonight, when we first talked. There's something else that I'm afraid is going to be an issue."

"Okay."

"It's no secret… that I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. However, there is something from my past that is not common knowledge." Leo takes a breath and then continues. "I had a relapse the day of the last debate during the President's first campaign."

Matt weighs the information he has just received. "Leo, Josh and I have already talked. He didn't go into any details, but he elaborated that there might be one thing that you would be concerned about. After you and I talked earlier tonight, I thought he was referring to Margaret," he smiles.

"Josh didn't know about Margaret and me until just a couple of minutes ago. He is, however, aware of my relapse."

"Leo, Josh isn't worried about your relapse and neither am I."

"Another thing you should know, before you say you're not worried, is that there are a few Republicans who know about my relapse and… one of them might try to cause trouble."

"Who knows?"

"Congressman Bruno, Cliff Calley and… Congressman Gibson." Leo has to stop himself from spitting out the last name.

Matt takes a couple of seconds to contemplate the names of those who know. "Bruno's a reasonable guy, so I really don't see him as a threat."

"Yeah." Leo agrees.

"Cliff seems to be, too."

"Yeah, he's the one who intervened during my testimony to stop my relapse from being reveled."

"But Gibson…" Matt shakes his head. "He's the type who would love to use this against us."

"Yeah, he's the one who tried to use it against me during the Congressional hearing," Leo explains.

"Well, Josh isn't worried about it, so he must have a three part plan," the Congressman smiles.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Leo, I still want you to accept the offer. You're the right man for the job. I'm going to need a lot of guidance and I can't think of a better person. Josh is convinced and so am I. So, what do you say?" Matt stands.

Leo joins the Congressman, "Well, Sir, it looks like Margaret's going to have to marry me soon, 'cause I accept."

"Great," he offers Leo his hand.

"Thanks," Leo says, as he shakes his hand.

----------

"Hello," Mallory groggily answers her phone.

"Hey, Baby."

"Daddy." Mallory sits up quickly. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Ya know, you're spending way too much time with Margaret. Nothing's wrong. I just have something to tell ya."

"It must be important to wake me up at," Mallory looks her alarm clock, "one-forty-five in the morning."

"It's only ten-forty-five out here," he teases. "Besides, I thought you'd be up watching the convention."

"I was, but after it was apparent that Santos was it, I went to bed. Remember, I have to teach tomorrow."

"Yeah, but ya might wanna turn your TV back on." He suggests.

"Why?"

"Because the President is getting ready to announce the Democratic candidate for President and Vice President."

"Daddy, I already know it's Matt Santos for President and as for the somebody that he's chosen for Vice President, I can just wait and read about in the paper tomorrow morning."

"Okay, but you're gonna miss a chance to see me on TV."

"Daddy, I've seen you on…." The light goes off inside her head. "Daddy, are you telling me that you're going to run for Vice President?"

"Yeah."

"Oh Daddy, congratulations!" Mallory reaches for the remote control. "Just a sec, I'm turning on the TV."

"Baby, there's something else I need to tell ya. Margaret and I are getting married, probably within the next couple of weeks."

"It's about time."

"Hey, I'm not the one… oh… never mind."

"Is Margaret awake? I want to call her."

"Yeah, she's gonna watch, too."

"Daddy, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Baby." Leo quickly checks his watch. "Sorry, but I need to go. I have to get backstage and get ready."

"Okay, bye. I love you."

"I love ya, too. Bye."

----------

Leo follows Annabeth up the steps to Air Force One. He's very happy not to have to fly back to DC by commercial plane, like they did on the trip out to California. He steps onto the plane and smiles. This is the first time that Leo has flown on Air Force One since his heart attack. He walks past his old onboard office and heads for the area designated for Senior Staff.

Leo settles into his seat, looks at his watch, and sees that it's one in the morning. He quickly calculates the time difference plus the flight time. They should land at Andrews' around nine in the morning, DC time. He decides that he wants to go by the White House to see Margaret before he goes by his hotel to get some sleep and pick up some stuff before he heads over to her apartment for the night. He still keeps his room at the hotel for appearances sake even though he spends all his nights at her apartment. He fastens his seatbelt, leans back in his seat and thinks about how this all began.

Flashback to June 2004

Leo opens his eyes, moves his legs, and moans out in pain.

Margaret, who is sitting in the chair next to his bed watching him sleep, rushes to his side. "Leo are you okay?"

Leo turns his eyes toward her, "Margaret?" He questions, in a weak voice.

"Yeah," she whispers back.

"Why are you… here?"

Margaret bites her lower lip. She's not about to tell him the real reason why she's here. "You might… need me," she offers, as her hands fidget on the rail.

Leo sees the worry in her eyes, "Margaret, I'm… fine," he tells her as he covers her hands with his and tries to calm her.

"You promise," her voice begs.

"Yeah," he says, as he slowly withdraws his shaky hand and closes his eyes. "What day is it?"

"It's Saturday night, almost Sunday morning. You've been here since Wednesday morning after they… found you in the woods at Camp David," she enlightens him, anticipating his next question.

"Mallory?" Leo opens his eyes.

"I sent her home about a couple of hours ago. She'll be back tomorrow morning." She reassures him.

"Thanks," his raspy voice whispers. "You should go home, too." He's having a hard time staying awake.

"Leo, do you need anything, before I go?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

Margaret smiles, "Okay, then why don't you just close your eyes and go back to sleep."

"Yeah," he sighs, as he closes his eyes.

Margaret stands by his bedside for a couple more minutes, making sure that he's asleep. When she's sure he is, she walks back over to the chair, sits down, and nervously watches the monitors, making sure Leo's damaged heart is still beating. She puts a hand to her own heart, feels it beating and wishes she had the power to heal his. She says a silent prayer for the man she loves from afar.

----------

The whole time that Leo is in the hospital, Margaret comes by to visit every night on her way home from work. At first, she mostly watches him sleep, but later as he improves, they spend time talking about work. Margaret doesn't give him any details about what's going on, mostly just about how CJ is doing and some gossip about the staff. She helps him in and out of the bed, when need be, and they take walks in the corridors. To anyone from the outside; they appear to be like any other normal married couple.

After Leo goes home, he starts to think up reasons for her to drop by his hotel. He has had plenty of time on his hands to think, and he's discovered how much he misses Margaret and how much she means to him. It startles him when he realizes that he's in love with her.

----------

After four months of spending many evenings together, Leo finally decides to approach her about his feelings.

He walks into the living area of his hotel with a tray of snacks and drinks for them, sets it down on the coffee table and takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch from her. "Margaret… what are we doing here?" He motions back and forth between them with his hand.

"I thought we were trying to decide whether to watch a movie or play cards, tonight."

"That's not what I meant… and you know it," he says, as he gets back up and sits down closer to her on the couch and takes the long slender hand, resting next to her, into his.

"Leo," she whispers in slight surprise, but doesn't pull away.

He sits there, staring into her eyes and rubbing his thumb over her hand, "It's like we're dating, but without… the fringe benefits," he smiles his best impish grin at her. The one that causes his dimple to show and his eyes to sparkle.

"Leo, did you take too much of your medicine today?" She softly chides, not knowing what to say back to him. She's afraid he's going to tell her that he knows that she loves him, but he only thinks of her as a friend.

"No, I'm thinking very clearly. Probably the clearest in years," he whispers, as he raises a hand to her face and touches her softly along the jaw line.

"I've heard that patients can become enamored with their nurses."

"That's not what this is… and besides, you're not my nurse or even my assistant anymore." He slides closer to her, their legs now touching.

Margaret's heart is beating so fast and loud that she's sure that Leo can hear it. "I think you're…"

"In love with you." Leo finishes her thought. "And I think you're in love with me, too." Leo moves his lips towards hers.

Margaret bobs her head, "I… am," she whispers.

"Good," Leo smiles, just before he presses his lips to hers.

End of Flashback

Leo opens his eyes and smiles at the memory of the first time they kissed. He smiles even more at the thought of the first time that they made love. Margaret was so nervous that she was going to cause him to have another heart attack, and he was so afraid he wouldn't be able to satisfy her. They both got over their inhibitions after the first couple of minutes in bed, and soon they couldn't get enough of each other.

Leo has never been as responsive with a woman as he is with Margaret. Just thinking about her now is causing him to be aroused. He shakes his head at what she does to him and tries to calm himself down. He thinks about the day that he found out she was pregnant, quite possibly one of the happiest days of his life. It was right after he had gone back to work January, just a few days after the State of the Union. He immediately proposed to her and wanted to get married that coming weekend, but after quite a bit of debate, she convinced him to wait.

Leo's glad that they don't have to hide their relationship anymore. It's been getting harder and harder to keep his hands off her belly at work. He just loves caressing their baby.

"Hey, Leo," Annabeth sits down next to him. "I can't imagine what you're smiling about." She teases.

"I bet ya can't," he laughs, as he crosses his legs. "Annabeth, there's something I need to tell ya. There's gonna be some trouble coming, I fear." He proceeds to tell her about Margaret, the baby and their plans to marry within the next couple of weeks.

"Congratulations, and you're right. I had no idea," she smiles.

"So, do you think it will be a problem?"

"We won't let it be," she returns in her southern voice. "So, when's the baby due?"

"End of October," he smiles.

"Boy or girl?"

"We don't know. I wanted to find out, but Margaret wants to be surprised, so… we're being surprised," he laughs.

"And you don't mess with Mama," Annabeth laughingly informs him, as she notices the sparkle in Leo's eyes when he talks about Margaret and the baby. She never knew him before his heart attack, but had heard what a rough few years he'd experienced since coming to the White House. At first, when she found out she was working for him at the convention, she was terrified. But, after the first morning, she relaxed and found that he wasn't as bad as she had imagined.

"Annabeth, I just want to thank you for the great job you did at the convention."

"It was a great experience. I really loved it."

"You were very competent."

"Thank you, I really enjoyed working with you."

"Good. Cause I was wondering, if we win the election, would you consider coming to work for me as my Chief of Staff?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you," he smiles. "I realize it's maybe a step down from being the acting Press Secretary."

"Leo, I would be honored to be your Chief of Staff."

"Great, then it's settled."

"Is there any problem with me staying at the White House in the position I'm at now, or do you need me to help with the managing of your campaign."

"Well, Josh mentioned he had someone in mind for that."

"Good, 'cause I would like to help CJ and Toby toward the end of this administration."

"Yeah, that's the sad part about accepting the offer from the Congressman. I had already turned down Josh once before, a few months ago, when he wanted me to leave the White House. I told him I'd already found my man, but…"

"Leo, I know the President understands and he really wants you to do this. The whole staff is excited for you."

"Yeah, I know. It's still going to be hard to leave, before it's over. But, like I told Josh, this job's never really over and that people move on, so… I guess I had better take my own advice."

"Sounds like good advice. Well… I need to get ready for the press. We'll be landing soon, and they always have tons of questions waiting."

"Okay, we'll talk later about the job."

"Thanks again, Leo." She gets up and walks away.

----------

They land a little after nine in the morning, and Leo is one of the first staff members to disembark the plane. He starts moving towards the long row of black cars and SUVs.

"Leo," CJ calls after him, as she tries to catch up with him on the tarmac.

Leo stops and turns, "Yeah."

"The lead staff car is all yours," she informs him, pointing towards it.

"Since when do we have assigned staff cars?"

"Since… you decided to almost work yourself into the ground this past week," she smirks.

"CJ, I'm fine." Leo rolls his eyes. He should have known he wasn't going to get by with it. "Besides, I got some sleep on the plane."

"I'm sending you to your hotel," she informs him with a non-comprising look. "The driver has his instructions, so don't even try to convince him to take you to the White House."

"But…"

"Leo, don't try me, do I need to call Margaret and have her read you the riot act," she scolds as she folds her arms over her chest.

Leo knows he's lost this battle, cause Margaret is probably going to kill him anyway when she sees the dark circles under his eyes and how prominent his limp is. She never misses a thing. "No, I'll be a good boy and go to my hotel."

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow but, not before noon."

"Noon!" He growls.

"Leopold," she sternly says, as she puts her hands on her hips and glares at him.

"Okay, noon," he grumbles, as he turns and heads for his assigned car. He makes the short walk to his car.

"Welcome home, Mr. McGarry," the Eddie says, as he opens the car door.

"Yeah, I guess you have your orders," he grumbles, upset from the fact he doesn't get to run by the White House and see his Margaret.

"Yes, Sir I do," he smiles.

"You weren't very polite to Eddie," Margaret says, as Leo gets into the car.

"Margaret!"

"Welcome home, Mr. McGarry," she mimics.

"Now, this is the kind of welcome I like," he murmurs as he slides over to her side and takes her in his arms.

"Mmm… this is the homecoming 'I' was hoping for," she moans into his mouth as he explores hers thoroughly with his tongue and pulls her tighter against him.

"Where to Mr. McGarry?" Eddie calls over his shoulder, after lowers the darkened privacy guard a couple of inches.

"My hotel," he informs Eddie, after he regrettably pulls from her lips.

"Your hotel?" Margaret asks.

"Yeah, I need to get some things, and maybe we could find something to do there," he whispers into her ear.

"I think… we might be able to find something to occupy our time," she purrs into his ear, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up and for his desire for her to start to rise, too.

"Do you have to go back to the White House today?" Leo asks, as he kisses her again.

"Nope," she breathes into his mouth. "CJ gave me the day off, after I called and arranged for your little surprise."

Leo pulls back a little from Margaret and tilts his head, "Wasn't she suspicious of you wanting to meet me?"

"Nope, she already knows about us."

"You told her?"

"No, you did."

"I never…"

"Leo, apparently you're as transparent as glass when it comes to your feelings about me. She said, she's suspected for some time now, but she knew it was true she saw you rubbing my belly, right before you left for California."

"I'm sorry, I just can't help touching you and our baby." He places his hand on her swollen belly.

"I know, and it just makes me love you more." She leans over and kisses him.

"That's good to know," he smiles. "I've missed you so much."

"Me, too."

"I can't wait to get you to my room and…" he whispers the rest into her ear.

"Mmmm," Margaret groans. "Do you think you could have Eddie drive faster?" She says as she teases him, by running her fingers along his zipper.

"Margaret," he moans. "We still have to walk through the lobby."

"You're just have to hold your briefcase in front of you," she laughs, as she continues her manipulations and starts to attack his neck with her mouth.

"Two, can play at this game," he informs her, as he starts to play with her over-sensitive breasts.

"Leo," she whimpers.

"Yeah, Sweetie," he smiles.

"I want you so bad, but we better stop before… before… "

"Before what?" He asks, as he starts to unbutton her blouse.

"Before we can't…"

"Yeah… you're probably right," he sighs. "I love you," he says, as he kisses the bare skin, exposed by her open blouse.

"I love you, too and when we get to your hotel, I'm going to show you how much."

Leo hits the button for the privacy window, lowering it a bit. "Eddie, how much longer?"

"Another fifteen minutes, Sir. As long as the traffic cooperates."

"Thanks." Leo raises the window and turns to her. "Margaret, we have…" His voice and hazel eyes plead.

"Leo McGarry, there's no way that this pregnant body can make love to you in the back seat of this car."

"Okay, but I think you owe me one rumble in the back of a limo," he smirks. "Especially… after teasing me."

"I'm sorry, was I teasing you?" she smirks. "I'll make you a deal. If you become Vice President, I'll pay off my debt… in full."

"Oh God, Margaret, I hope you haven't just jinxed us," he laughs. "Cause, I really want you to have to pay up."

"Don't worry Leo, 'cause even if you two lose, I'll still award you payment, even if a have to rent the damn limo myself."

"That's good to know." He puts his arm around her, and presses a kiss into her red hair.

"Yeah," she smiles as she lays her head on his shoulder and patiently waits for them to reach his hotel.

They sit like this for a while, both of them thinking about how much they love the other. Margaret still has to pinch herself sometimes during the day to make sure she's not dreaming. She yearns for his touch and has never been so happy as she is with him.

Leo has never craved anyone like he craves Margaret and her touch. Sometimes when he thinks about her, during the day, he has to seek cover, to hide his obvious predicament.

"So, you've had quite a night," she breaks the silence they have been sharing.

"Yeah, but I think the morning is going to be even better." He tells her as he touches her chin, tuning her toward him and then presses his lips against hers. They are still kissing when Eddie informs them that there are at Leo's hotel.

"Thanks, Eddie," Leo says, as he takes Margaret by the arm and guides her to the revolving hotel doors.

"Leo," she lightly protests.

"Margaret it doesn't matter. It's going to be in the news soon anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Leo and Margaret make their way quickly to his hotel room. Both of them are primed and ready. Leo fights with his room key to open the door. After a few misfires, Margaret grabs it from his hand and gets it to work on the first try. Clothes start coming off the second Leo closes the door behind them. They hurry to the bedroom and waste no time. They've been away from each other, far too long to settle for taking this slow. They make their way to the bed and immediately start to pleasure each other with kisses, nips, and touches. Soon, they are flying high with Margaret's long legs wrapped tightly around Leo as he takes them over the edge.

Afterward, Margaret is lying as close to Leo as her belly will allow her. "Mmm… you were right," she breathes into his ear, after she catches her breath. Her body is still quivering.

"About what," he asks, as he runs his hand down her back. His heart beating fast against her.

"It was quite a morning, too."

"Yeah, it was."

"Care to make a prediction about tonight?" She smiles.

"Margaret, you're gonna kill me," he softly laughs, as he pulls her closer and kisses her as they continue to enjoy the afterglow of their lovemaking. They lie in each other's arms and after a few minutes fall asleep, both of them dreaming about their future together with their baby.

The end.


End file.
